Karen Keller
Gratitude is one of the most powerful emotions you can have.
Every person in business is thankful for something or someone; investors, supporters, parents, spouses, customers, being in the right place at the right time, on-time delivery, increased on-line presence, high performing team. The list goes on. But how and how often do you show your gratitude? Say a simple thank you? Give an appreciative smile?
Gratitude is more than counting your blessings. It’s about where you place your focus. Are you simply saying thank you out of habit or do you really feel what it means? Only when you put feeling behind what you say is when it has value and becomes gratitude.
Gratitude is an influential energy that you must send out in the process of actualizing your desires. Until you learn to be grateful for the things you have, you will not receive the things you want. The emotion of joy attracts the conditions of joy.
Gratitude sends out the message that you already have what you desire. This is similar to how the law of attraction works; you need to think and act as if the object of your desire is already a part of your reality.
Gratitude keeps you connected to your power.
As you begin your day, say what you are grateful for out loud. Saying them silently in your mind causes your mind to wander. Be intentional with your gratitude. Look at all the abundance you have. Notice the small, yet significant, things.
Nate Lambert, a professor of family sciences at Brigham Young University studied how gratitude helps the giver, not the receiver. What he found was people who expressed gratitude at least twice a week showed a higher regard for others and were more willing to resolve problems. Lambert concluded, "Gratitude works because it takes the focus off the self." He added, "All of a sudden you start focusing on what’s good about the person and how that works well with you and suddenly you have a different mindset and a different approach to your relationship."
Here are 5 ways women entrepreneurs show their gratitude:
1. Think small. Instead of waiting for the multi-million dollar client or the video that goes viral, focus on the little things about your clients or customers. Return the caring smile or nod, send a handwritten note expressing thanks, or publicly acknowledge an employee’s loyalty. Small gratitudes are the antidote to taking
life and others for granted.
2. Decide to be grateful. Being grateful only when things go your way makes you a victim of circumstance. Find something that came your way just because, meaning you didn’t work for or influence, such as a good night’s sleep, the fresh air you breathe, or the rain that keeps things growing. Say thank you for being there to receive it. It’s important to recognize the simple, yet massive, things we take for granted. Make the choice to reconnect with your invisible blessings.
3. Feel appreciation before you express it. Be authentic with your expression of gratitude. People will spot your lack of sincerity which results in a loss of trust. And a relationship without trust is impossible. Spend at least one day without being critical of anything. That may be hard to do, and if it is then you have some "gratitude" work to do. Pay attention to what is right with the world.
"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." William Arthur Ward
4. Don’t expect anything in return. When you say thank you or show your gratitude, stay unattached to the outcome of your expression. Expecting something in return distracts you from where your focus needs to be – on the person or situation receiving your gratitude. Take note of the deed that is deserving of your attention or acknowledgement. Really see it for what it is, not looking at it through the blur we’ve all become accustomed to as we rush through our day.
5. Refrain from expressing gratitude when the person is upset with you. The reason for this is the other person, while being upset with you, will feel conflicted when you express appreciation. Being upset, hurting or anger does not mix well with gratitude. Rather, resolve any conflict you have before saying, "thank you."
Gratitude is more than just a thank you. It’s a state of mind. It’s a way of living, of giving back, of receiving graciously, and of building awareness and peace. Entering into this state of being is when you begin loving what you have. This is when you will discover all that you truly possess.
When you feel grateful, you feel worthwhile. When you feel worthwhile, you increase your presence in the world.
